Dawn leaks: Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's top aide likely to be sacked

Tariq Fatemi, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs, could be removed from his position for his alleged role in "leaking" to a prominent newspaper vital information from a National Security meet, a media report said today. In October last year, a colum

Tariq Fatemi, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs, could be removed from his position for his alleged role in "leaking" to a prominent newspaper vital information from a National Security meet, a media report said today.

In October last year, a columnist for Dawn newspaper wrote a front-page story about a rift between Pakistan's civilian and military leadership over militant groups that operate from Pakistan but engage in proxy war against India and Afghanistan.

The government had set up the inquiry committee last year to probe the controversy surrounding a controversial report by Dawn newspaper about a key meeting on national security.

According to the inquiry committee report, it is Fatemi who was primarily responsible for leaking report of the key meeting to the newspaper without due permission.

The report will be presented to Nawaz Sharif in the next three to four days, adding that it will now be difficult for Fatemi to maintain his position, sources were quoted a saying by the Express Tribune.

The government had ordered an investigation on the matter in November, last year.

The committee, headed by Justice (retd) Aamir Raza Khan, included representatives of the Intelligence Bureau, the Military Intelligence and the Inter-Services Investigation.

Earlier, Pervaiz Rasheed was removed from the Information Ministry due to similar reasons. Sharif's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs will no longer hold the office, the report said.

Cyril Almeida who wrote the article had also reported that the ISI was told during the NSA meeting that its support for terror groups was leaving the country globally isolated.

The Foreign Office had vehemently rejected the report and termed it "speculative".